Men Found With Enough Fentanyl To Kill 18 Million Sentenced In New Jersey

February 7, 2018

According to United Press International, the two men being the largest fentanyl bust to date in New Jersey’s history have been sentenced. Jesus Carrillo-Pineda and Daniel Vasquez pleaded guilty in December 2017 to possession of enough fentanyl that authorities have said could kill the entire population of New Jersey twice over. In a written statement, New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal said, “Many lives were undoubtedly saved as a result of this record-setting fentanyl seizure by the New Jersey State Police… Because dealers use this super-potent opioid to boost heroin and create counterfeit oxy pills, drug users are left to play a deadly game of Russian roulette each time they give way to their addiction.”

Detectives of the New Jersey State Police Trafficking North Unit developed information about a shipment of drugs being delivered in North Bergen. On June 28, 2017, the detectives assisted by members of the North Bergen Police Department, arrested Carrillo-Pineda and Vasquez after observing the drug transaction in which two black duffel bags were transferred from the back of a tractor-trailer driven by Vasquez into a Mercedes Benz driven by Carrillo-Pineda. The State Police seized 40 individually wrapped kilograms that testing confirmed to be fentanyl.

Carrillo-Pineda of Philadelphia, PA was sentenced to 10 years in state prison on a charge of possession of heroin with intent to distribute and a concurrent sentence of seven years in prison on a charge of possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute. Vasquez of Somerton, AZ was sentenced to six years in state prison on a charge of possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute.